June 2026
Shamanism
What June 2026's 5 new studies found, synthesized from the papers below. All Shamanism research →
The synthesis
Synthesized from 5 studies in the library · AI-generated, grounded in the abstracts below
Found by searching the library for Shamanism, shamanic, entheogenic ritual, indigenous healing, then ranked by relevance.
Research on shamanism in June 2026 is predominantly theoretical and interpretive, focusing on symbolic and structural analyses of shamanic elements in folklore, ritual, and material culture. One large survey provides empirical evidence on beliefs in supernatural harm among psychedelic users, but the overall body of evidence is limited in scope and does not support broad empirical conclusions about shamanic practices or their effects.
Confidence in the evidence
Insufficient- Only one study (article_id 28334) provides empirical quantitative data; the others are theoretical or interpretive analyses.
- The empirical study is a cross-sectional online survey with potential selection bias, limiting generalizability.
- The remaining studies are qualitative or theoretical, offering no testable hypotheses or causal evidence.
- No studies directly test the efficacy or outcomes of shamanic healing or rituals.
How we rate confidence
Confidence reflects the strength of the underlying evidence, not whether the result is favorable. It weighs the number and size of studies, their design (randomized trials count for more than observational or single-case work), how consistently they point the same way, and their risk of bias.
Tiers run from Insufficient to High. High is rare in this field: small, early, or open-label studies land lower even when their direction is encouraging.
Evidence by study
Direction is each study's finding relative to your question: Supports, Opposes, No effect, Mixed, or Unclear.
| Study | Design | Sample size | Direction | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Shamanic Interpretation of the Folktale Magical Ruler for Healing and Saving Lives 2026 | theoretical/qualitative | — | Unclear | This study interprets a folk tale through a shamanic lens, identifying structural parallels with shamanic initiation rites. |
| Beliefs in and experiences of sorcery, black magic and brujería among psychedelic users: a quantitative and qualitative survey 2026 | cross-sectional survey | 895 | Unclear | This survey examines prevalence and characteristics of beliefs in sorcery and supernatural harm among psychedelic users, but the abstract does not report specific effect sizes or directions. |
| The Structural Paradox of the Shamanic Healing Ritual: Relational Displacement and the Search for Transcendence in Korean Spirituality 2026 | theoretical | — | Unclear | This article proposes a relational displacement model for Korean shamanic healing rituals, arguing they function as ontological technologies rather than clinical procedures. |
| Shamanic Symbolism in the Robe Patterns of the Chu State: A Semiotic and Archaeological Study 2026 | archaeological/semiotic analysis | — | Unclear | This study analyzes shamanic symbolism in Chu state robe patterns, revealing a hierarchical symbolic system encoding cosmology and ritual practices. |
| Optimizing music for psychedelic-assisted therapy: Examining contemporary practices, traditional entheogenic rituals, and musically-induced peak experiences 2026 | literature review | — | Unclear | This review compares musical features in modern psychedelic therapy, traditional entheogenic rituals, and peak experiences, finding conflicting features across contexts. |
This study interprets a folk tale through a shamanic lens, identifying structural parallels with shamanic initiation rites.
theoretical/qualitative
This survey examines prevalence and characteristics of beliefs in sorcery and supernatural harm among psychedelic users, but the abstract does not report specific effect sizes or directions.
cross-sectional survey · Sample size: 895
This article proposes a relational displacement model for Korean shamanic healing rituals, arguing they function as ontological technologies rather than clinical procedures.
theoretical
This study analyzes shamanic symbolism in Chu state robe patterns, revealing a hierarchical symbolic system encoding cosmology and ritual practices.
archaeological/semiotic analysis
This review compares musical features in modern psychedelic therapy, traditional entheogenic rituals, and peak experiences, finding conflicting features across contexts.
literature review
Points of agreement
- Shamanic elements are identified across diverse cultural contexts (Korean, Chu state, Amazonian) and media (folktales, rituals, material culture).
- Shamanic rituals are interpreted as involving symbolic death and rebirth, spiritual bridges, and relational cosmologies.
Conflicts
- No direct empirical conflicts are reported, but the theoretical studies do not test the same hypotheses as the survey.
Gaps
- No experimental or clinical studies on shamanic healing outcomes.
- No longitudinal data on beliefs in supernatural harm or their consequences.
- Lack of representative sampling in the survey study.
- No studies directly comparing shamanic practices across cultures with standardized measures.